JWT Thinks Regionally, Brands Locally for Entergy in 4 States

ATLANTA-J. Walter Thompson here shines the spotlight on “the power of people” for Entergy Corp. in a multimedia campaign breaking today in the Southwest. Sources estimated the budget at $10 million.
A multibillion dollar utility with offices in New Orleans and Little Rock, Ark., Entergy has more than two million customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. It is those customers, as well as prospective power purchasers, that Entergy hopes to bond with before deregulation brings competition.
“We had to develop a brand,” said Jeff White, general manager of JWT. “We thought one of the strongest elements of that brand could be the people who were local who supplied that service.”
Following that course, JWT developed the themeline: “That’s the power of people. That’s Entergy.”
Two TV spots depict instances of Entergy service workers going above and beyond duty’s call.
“Company Car” tells the story of Entergy operations coordinator Joe Smith, whose service territory includes Louisiana swampland. “That swamp makes for some interesting service calls,” says Joe, who glides across the wetlands in his “company car,” an airboat. He then climbs a pole protruding from six feet of water and restores power to the bayou.
The second spot’s hero risks customer dissatisfaction by cutting off the power briefly-in the middle of a Dallas Cowboys game-to rescue a blue heron tangled in a line.
Both ads have 60- and 30-second versions. A third, now in production, will join the rotation on regional network TV and spot cable in October. JWT also developed print and radio.
Production credits include JWT executive vice president and creative director Michael Lollis, copywriters Monty Wyne and Scott Nelson, art directors Pedro Gonzalez and Bill Pauls, and director Steve Colby of Means Street Productions.